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Bergstrom Parksmart HVAC Units in Freightliners Recalled

An electrical defect in a cab/sleeper heater-air conditioner has prompted recalls by the supplier and by the truck manufacturer that installed the units, according to notices from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The wiring harness defect in Bergstrom Parkmart units can create heat and a danger of fire, the recalls say.

“Inadequate contact between the mating surfaces of the electrical connector on the compressor end of the harness and the electrical pins on the top of the compressor can result in locally high electrical resistance and/or localized electrical arcing resulting in excessive heat at this interface,” said the Bergstrom recall issued in February.

The units were installed in 2015- and 2016-model Freightliner Cascadia tractors, and in March, Daimler Trucks North America followed with its own voluntary recall. Affected vehicles were built between March 4, 2014, and Nov. 9, 2015, DTNA said. Owners should contact Freightliner dealers for no-charge inspection and corrective work, which Bergstrom will pay for.

Prior to the recalls, DTNA had assisted Bergstrom in analyzing a small number of “thermal events,” NHTSA said. “Overheating… has resulted in a small percentage of potential fires (one tenth of one percent, 0.1%),” Bergstrom said. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Truckinginfo asked Bergstrom if any other truck makes and models are affected, but the manufacturer has not yet responded.